Far from the vineyards, New York City wineries are coming into their own

Watch out, Napa Valley and Tuscany. New York City winemakers are crushing it.

Watch out, Napa Valley and Tuscany. New York City winemakers are crushing it.

Far away from bucolic vineyards, fermenting and wine aging are being done around the boroughs — and the scene is starting to be taken seriously by wine snobs.

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Brooklyn wineries have recently caught the eye of Wine Spectator, which featured three in its April 30 issue.

"It's kind of impossible not to notice the explosion of artisanal manufacturing in the last five to 10 years, whether that's chocolate, soap or gin, and that's come to include wine," says Ben O'Donnell, an assistant editor at the magazine. "People like the idea of sitting down to have a glass of something that was made in the next room over."

Most of the city's wineries open their doors to visitors who want to stop by and learn about the process.

The Barrel Room at the Brooklyn Winery on N. Eighth St. in Williamsburg (Jeff Bachner for New York Daily News)

"It makes it easier for New Yorkers to get wine right in their backyard," says Jim Trezise, the president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. "They are making good products and winning awards at competitions."

Here are five city wineries each putting a unique spin on fermenting in the Big Apple.

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Brooklyn Winery

Bottling in progress at the Brooklyn Winery in Williamsburg (Jeff Bachner for New York Daily News)

(213 N. Eighth St., Brooklyn; bkwinery.com)

After learning how to make his own wine at a class in New Jersey, Brian Leventhal, a co-founder of Brooklyn Winery, thought making wine in Williamsburg would be a good fit.

"New York is one of the highest wine-consuming cities in the whole world," Leventhal says. "And Brooklyn has such a maker culture right now."

The winery, which opened in 2010, buys as many grapes from New York State as possible — about 70% in 2013 — and supplements the red wine with some California grapes.

The winery pours their creations in a wine bar next door that also offers a selection of small plates. The venue, which includes a large skylight room with a living plant wall, is such a popular choice for weddings, that it's booked every weekend this summer. That means that visitors who want to try out the wines (or buy a bottle to bring home) will have to do it on a weekday.

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Staten Island Winery

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(106 Wakefield Ave. #A, Staten Island; siwinery.net)

A sampling of wines available at the Red Hook Winery (Andrew Schwartz For New York Daily News)

Bob Rando opened this wine school in 2004, giving families and groups a hands-on way to learn how to make wine. Over the course of a year, participants turn grapes into juice, ferment it, barrel it and then bottle it, picking a blend or creating a custom one.

"I learned from my grandfather who was from Sicily and made wine at home," says Rando, who is the master winemaker at Boston Winery and has helped open wine schools across the East Coast. "We wanted to bring back the traditions."

Rando has many repeat customers who come back to make wine, almost all red, from grapes that come from California and Chile. It costs $2,900 to make a barrel, $1,500 for a half barrel and $800 for a quarter barrel, but Rando says families often split the cost.

Right now, the operation is just a school, but Rando is in the process of applying to sell bottles to restaurants and liquor stores.

Those who want to learn more about the process and try the wine can come in for tastings, which are held every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. and cost $10.

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Red Hook Winery

(175-204 Van Dyke St., Pier 41, Brooklyn; redhookwinery.com)

Winemaker David Lecomte stands with his wine tanks at City WInery in SoHo. (Kevin Hagen for New York Daily News)

Guitar equipment sits on the floor of the Red Hook Winery — which makes sense since owner Mark Snyder's background is creating systems for musicians like Billy Joel and Peter Frampton.

After he grew tired of being on the road, Snyder started a wine importing and distribution company in 2004, and wondered why more New York wine lovers weren't familiar with local products. He decided to experiment with two California winemakers: Abe Schoener and Robert Foley, who would take grapes grown in New York and produce wine with them in Red Hook. Snyder believes that producing wine from winemakers with different styles could help determine what the terroir is in New York — the taste as determined by the geography and climate of where the grapes are grown.

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City Winery

City Winery doubles as a music venue.

(155 Varick St., citywinery.com)

There's no fighting through crowds to get to the bar at this music venue-winery. About five years ago, Michael Dorf, formerly of the Knitting Factory, founded City Winery as a place where the music fans who are over 40 years old could have a more civilized experience.

Since then, the operation has grown to include a restaurant and tasting area, and expanded to Chicago and Napa (where they don't make wine). The chain's next location, in Nashville, is expected to open in September, and Dorf envisions a network of City Wineries across the country.

The winery sells bottles, but is known for its wine on tap, an environmentally conscious way to enjoy wine right on the premises, with no added sulfites or preservatives.

Owner Craig Kayaian at Brooklyn Oenology tasting room on Wythe Ave. in Williamsburg (Jeff Bachner for New York Daily News)

The venue holds more than 300 concerts a year, and is open for dinner nightly, as well as lunch Monday through Thursday and Sunday brunch.

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Brooklyn Oenology

(209 Wythe Ave. #106, Brooklyn; brooklynoenology.com)

Winemaker Alie Shaper founded the Williamsburg-based Brooklyn Oenology back in 2006. Currently she produces the wine, made from all New York grapes, in a facility on the East End of Long Island, and showcases them in a tasting room on Wythe Ave. in Brooklyn. The shop also carries wine from other New York manufacturers from the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island, as well as local beer, spirits, cheese and charcuterie. Visitors can come in for tastes (about $3.50 to $4.50) or glasses ($7 to $12).

The brand has always been a big supporter of local artists, explains marketing director Craig Kayaian. The tasting room serves as a gallery space, and each new release of wine has different artwork on the labels, which double as peel-off stickers for keeping.

Brooklyn Oenology also operates the Taste NY stores at LaGuardia and JFK airports, which are part of an initiative from Gov. Cuomo to promote New York food and drinks.